Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Budget And Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board member questions superintendent over hiring, travel and vehicle use amid $300,000 funding shortfall
Summary
At a Dexter school board meeting, the superintendent told the board the district is about 51 students down from last year, which he said represents "about a $300,000 plus deficit"; a board member pressed him about a posted bookkeeper position, out‑of‑state travel and alleged personal use of a district vehicle.
A board member challenged the superintendent on several operational and personnel issues after the district's superintendent warned of an enrollment decline that is reducing state funding.
The superintendent, Dr. Graves, told the board the district was "about 51 students down from our count of last year," and said that represented "about a $300,000 plus deficit in terms of student funding from the state." He said the administration plans to rely on attrition rather than immediate hiring to limit budget pressure.
Why hire now, asked a board member, noting a bookkeeper posting on the district website after a recent presentation about possibly hiring a replacement for Genie. "I don't believe we gave authorization for that, but there's a posting for a bookkeeper on our website," the board member said, seeking clarity on whether the board approved the hire.
Dr. Graves acknowledged the need for bookkeeping assistance and said the position "may or may not replace" the current bookkeeper; he said the intent was to hire someone to help the current employee and possibly be trained as a future replacement. He also described an intention to use attrition to avoid filling other vacancies where possible.
The board member also raised two other concerns: that the superintendent had taken out‑of‑state travel without prior board permission and that a district vehicle was being used for personal travel. The board member framed both as departures from expected procedure.
Dr. Graves responded to the travel question directly: "That was my bad," he said, explaining Region 9 recruited him at short notice and the trip was paid for through a last‑minute request. On the vehicle use, he denied improper use for personal errands, saying routine banking or after‑hours work had previously been handled via central‑office vehicles and that staff could work on formalizing travel or vehicle request procedures going forward.
The exchanges concluded without formal disciplinary action; the board member said they would continue other concerns privately. The meeting proceeded to adjournment.
What happens next: board members asked that certain items—like the bookkeeper posting and vehicle‑use procedures—be clarified by staff and brought back for follow up.
